About the Northwestern Volleyball Club
The Northwestern Volleyball Club is
all about, well, volleyball. Volleyball
is an excellent team sport. Unlike many
sports, volleyball is a sport that you can play for a lifetime. Regardless of your ability, there are
numerous local leagues. In the
The Northwestern Volleyball Club
consists of 3 groups:
Recreational School-age
players playing in association with the NYAA (Northwestern
Youth Athletic Association)
The
Northwestern Volleyball Club is dedicated to teaching youth how to play. The program is available to kids in 5th
grade (4th grade with permission) and older. We split the kids into levels based on their
abilities. Each level has twice weekly
practices geared to improving their individual skills and team play.
We have sessions in the Fall (September through early
November), Winter (December through mid-February), and Spring (early March
through April.)
For Middle
School and High School kids, we run all three sessions.
The Levels:
Level 1
Level 1 is
for beginners. Here we teach the basics:
underhand serving, forearm passing, basic setting, and standing spiking. We work towards the kids utilizing 3 hits on
each offensive possession. Generally, we
have 4 weeks of practices focusing on individual skills meeting twice per
week. Starting in the 5th
week, we continue the twice weekly practices but add intra-club games on
Saturday mornings. The program is ten
weeks in duration. If possible, we will
schedule scrimmages against other youth organizations.
Level 2
Level 2 is
for beginner-plus players. Before moving
to this level, kids need to be able to do the basic skills: underhand serving,
forearm passing, basic setting, and standing spiking. While continuing to improve the skill level
of the kids, in Level 2 we introduce true team play with offensive (a 4-2
offense – 4 hitters and 2 setters) and defensive formations, advanced setting
and spiking. Generally, we have 4 weeks
of practices focusing on individual skills and team play meeting twice per
week. Starting in the 5th
week, we continue the twice weekly practices but add intra-club games on
Saturday mornings. The program is ten
weeks in duration. If possible, we will
schedule scrimmages against other youth organizations.
Level 3
Level 3 is
for advanced players. Before moving to
this level, kids need to be able to do the basic skills: underhand serving,
forearm passing, setting, and spiking while also understanding offensive and
defensive formations. While continuing
to improve the skill level of the kids, in Level 3, we introduce advanced team
play with a 6-2 offense (6 hitters and 2 setters), 4-person serve reception,
and 6-back defense, advanced setting and spiking, overhand serving, and game
strategy. Generally, we have 4 weeks of
practices focusing on both individual skills and team play meeting twice per
week. Starting in the 5th
week, we continue the twice weekly practices but add intra-club games on Saturday
mornings. This group will also seek to
scrimmage against other clubs and/or teams as well as playing in a tournament
or two. The program is ten weeks in
duration.
Tournament
Play playing in association with the AAU (Amateur
Athletic Union)
Tournament
level is for players interested in tournament play. Before moving to this level, kids will need
to attend a tryout where they will have to demonstrate the necessary skills:
serving, forearm passing, setting, and spiking.
This group will employ advanced team play with a 6-2 (6 hitters and 2
setters) or 5-1 (5 hitters and 1 setter) offense, 3 or 4-person serve
reception, 6-back defense, utilizing a Libero,
advanced setting and spiking, and game strategy. This level will practice twice per week. The teams will play in 4 to 6 tournaments. This group will start practices in December
and continue through April or early May as long as there are tournaments to
play. Costs will be determined by the
number of kids participating and tournaments to be played. Our tournament teams cost $250.
We field
girls teams in the 18 and under, 16 and under and 14 and under divisions. If we have enough interest, we will also
field girls teams in the 15 and under and 17 and under divisions. We’d like to start fields teams for boys in
the near future.
Adult Play – Recreational and League Play
This group
is available to any one who wishes to play the sport. It is an open gym concept - whoever shows up
plays. A fee is charged to cover rental
of the facilities. Any extra money is
turned into the NYAA to pay for equipment and items for the program. This usually starts in late February and runs
through April.
There are
opportunities to play in leagues for adults that wish to play at a higher level
of competition. Most of these teams are
more serious and a tryout may be held to make this team. Time frames vary depending on the league.